Automatic light



July 13 1926.

E. ADAMS 7 AUTOMATIC LIGHT Original Filed Q 1924 E.Adln6.

Patenited July 13, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERVIN ADAMS, OI N'ANTY GLO, PENNSYLVANIA, ASBIGNOR OF THREE-TENTHB TO A. E. MGANULTY, OF NANTY GLO, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC LIGHT.

Original application filed. March 8, 1924, Serial No. 697,785. Divided and this application filed X81011,

1925. Serial No. 13,279.

This invention relates to electric lamps and more particularly to a lamp which is designed to be normally in circuit with a distant source of supply of current and which embodies a local source of current supply renderin the lamp still useful in the event of fai ure of the first mentioned source of current supply, and one of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for automatically instantly cutting the local source of current supply into service upon failure of the distant source of current supply.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the lamp that it will be com act in form and may be readily carried a out from place to place when dismounted from its support, in the event it is desired to use the lamp as a portable lamp in the event of failure of the main source of current supply.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical transverse section and partly in elevation, illustrating the lamp embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the lamp circuits.

This application is a division of my co-- pending application for lighting systems for mine trains, filed March 8, 1924, Serial No. 697,785, and while the lamp embodying the invention is designed primarily for use as either the head or tail light of a mine locomotive or car, or a train ofcars, it may be employed in motion picture and other theaters, places of amusement, halls, schools, hospitals and, in fact, any building where total darkness, in the event of failure of the main current supply, would be liable to cause confusion, panic, or be liable to bring about disaster.

The lamp is indicated in general by the numeral 10 and the same comprises a casin 11 having a reflector back 12 of the usua contour, and the body of the casing may likewise be of any desired contour, and the casing may be supported in any desired manner. Preferably, the bottom of the casin indicated by'the numeral 13, is fiat and orms the top wall of a compartment 14 which extends transversely beneath the said casing 11. Mounted upon the said bottom 13 are electric lam sockets 15 and 16, the former being 0 a size and character to accommodatethe base of a-lamp bulb 17 compartment 14 and are electrically connected at their outer ends to a plu 21 which is adapted to be fitted in a soc et of the usual type. The numeral 22 indicates a solenoid, to one terminal of the winding of which is connected a conductor wire 23 leadmg to one of the supply wires, as for example, the wire 19. Another wire 24 is a connected to the wire 20 and leads to the other terminal of the solenoid Winding. The numerals 24' indicates a stationary block of insulating material which is mounted in the compartment 14, preferably upon the bottom thereof, and carries contacts 25 and 26. The conductor wire 20 leads to the contact 26, and the conductor wire 19 leads to the contact 25. The core of the solenoid is indicated by the numeral 28 and the said core at one end supports a head 29 which is of insulating material and carries contacts 30 and 31 which oppose the contacts 25 and 26 respectively. A wire 32 is electrically connected to the contact 30 and leads to one terminal of the lamp socket 15, and a wire 33 leads from the other terminal of said socket to the contact 31. At this point, it will be evident that when the solenoid winding is energized by the passage of current from the main source of su ply, whether said source be the supply or a building or a trolley wire in a mine, the core 28 will be shifted, through energization of the solenoid winding to bring the contacts 30 and 31 into engagement with the contacts 25 and 26 respectively, thereby closing the circuit through the lamp 17. This movement of the core 28 is yieldably resisted by a spring 34 connected at one end to the insulatin head 29 and at its other end to one of the insulating heads of the solenoid, the tension exerted by the spring tending to shift the solenoid core 28 in a direction to separate the contacts and. 31 from the contacts 25 and 26. The numeral 34' indlcates a fixed block of insulating material also arran ed within the compartment 14, and this bloc carries contacts 35 and 36 which are c posed by contacts 37 and 38 respectlvely w hich are supported by a head 39 mounted upon the ad acent end of the solenoid core 28.. Wires 40 and 41 lead respectively from thecontacts 37 and 38 to, the terminals of the lamp socket 16, and wires 42 and 43 lead from the contacts 35 and 36 res ectively, to the terminals of a cattery 44, w ich constitutes a local source of electric current supply, as will now be explained.

The battery 44 or local source of current supply, preferably comprises a pair of dry cells 45 which are removably mounted in a c lindrical casing 46 fixed upon the u per side of the casing 11 transversely thereo the casing 46 being provided with a closed end 47 and having at its other end a hinged closure 48 which may be locked if desired, as indicated by the numeral 49, so as to prevent surreptitlous removal of the dry cells. The wires42 and 43 are, of course, connected to the pro r terminals of the cells 45 so that the co ls will be in series, and preferably a disc'50 of insulating material will be arranged between the adjacent ends of the said cells so as'to prevent any loss of current or any leakage through contact of the binding posts of the cells with one another.

rom the fore oing description of the invention, it will evident that so long as the main source of current supply is available, the solenoid 22 will be ener ized and the lam 15 will be illuminated. owever, should t emain source of current suppl be broken or interrupted, for any reason w atsoever, the solenold Will be de-energized and the spring 34 will immediately shift the core 28 of the solenoid so as to bring the contacts 37 and 38 into contact with the contacts 35 and 36, thus immediately automatically closing the circuit in which the local source of current supply 44 and the lamp 18 are located. In order that the light 18 ma not be permitted to burn continuously an may be extinguished when its use is not required, a switch 51 of any ordinary type is interposed in the circuit in which the said light 18 and dry cells 45 are located.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In an automatic electric lamp of the class described, independent sources of illumination, spaced sets of contacts, one set of contacts being in circuit with one source v masses of illumination and the contacts of the other set being in circuit with the other source of illumination, a solenoid arran ed between the sets of contacts and inclu 'ng a core, the solenoid winding being in circuit with one source of illumination, contacts carried at each end of the solenoid, the contacts at one end of the solenoid being arranged for enga ement with the contacts in circuit with the rst mentioned source of illumination and the contacts at the other end of the core being in circuit with the other source of illumination, conductors for connection with a main source of current supply leading to the first mentioned set of contacts, a local source of current supply in circuit with the second mentioned set of contacts, the solenoid being in circuit with the main source of current sup 1 and means tending to shift the soleno1 core to effect coaction of the contacts to close the circuit embracing the second mentioned source of illumination and the local source of current supply.

2. An electric lamp of the class described comprising a casing, electric lamp sockets mounted within the casing in spaced relation to each other, the casing having a compartment, a solenoid mounted within the compartment, spaced contacts at one end of the core of the solenoid, spaced contacts at the other end of the core of the solenoid, conductor wires electrically connected with the terminals of one of the lamp sockets and with the first mentioned contacts, conductor wires electrically connected with the terminals of the other lamp socket and with the second mentioned contacts, fixed contacts within the compartment opposing the first mentionedcontacts, flexible conductor wires connected with said fixed contacts and power current supply, the terminals of the winding of the solenoid being electrically connected with the last mentioned wires, fixed contacts within the compartment 0 posing the other contacts upon the solenoid core, the casing having a second compartment, a local source of current supply comprising a battery arran ed in the second compartment, conductor wires leading from the terminals of the battery to the last mentioned fixed contacts, and means coacting with the solenoid core and urging the same yieldably in a direction to effect mutual engagement of the last mentioned solenoid core contacts with the last mentioned fixed contacts.

In testimony whereof I afiix m si ature.

ER ADAM $25.] 

